Heterometrus spinifer, or its common name, Malaysian forest scorpion, is a species of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae.[2]

Heterometrus spinifer
Asian Forest Scorpion at Goregaon Raigad
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Scorpionidae
Genus: Heterometrus
Species:
H. spinifer
Binomial name
Heterometrus spinifer
(Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828)
Synonyms
  • Buthus spinifer Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828[1]
  • Palamnaeus laevigatus Thorell, 1876
  • Palamnaeus oatesii Pocock, 1900

Description

edit

H. spinifer can reach a length around 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in).[3] The body is shiny black with gray-green reflections. The pincers are highly developed. In captivity it feeds primarily on insects, mainly cockroaches, crickets, and locusts.[4] Its venom can cause severe pain, and mild numbness in the affected area, but it is not typically lethal to humans.[4] These scorpions tend to be skittish and defensive, using their large pedipalps (pincers) to attack, more than their tails.

Distribution and habitat

edit

This species can be found in Southeast Asia,[3] including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, and other Southeast Asian countries .[4] Generally, these terrestrial scorpions live in moist forests in the dark undergrowth under logs or other debris, and they burrow into the ground where they hide during the day.[4]

Captivity

edit

The Asian Forest Scorpion is commonly kept in the pet trade due to its low venom toxicity [5] and large size.

References

edit
  1. ^ Biolib
  2. ^ Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828 : Zoologica II. Arachnoidea. Symbolae physicae seu icones et descriptiones animalium evertebratorum sepositis insectis quae ex itinere per Africam borealem et Asiam occidentalem. Berolini: Officina Academica.
  3. ^ a b Exotic Pets
  4. ^ a b c d WikiPets
  5. ^ Lebrun, Bruno; Romi-Lebrun, Régine; Martin-Eauclaire, Marie-France; Yasuda, Akikazu; Ishiguro, Masaji; Oyama, Yoshiaki; Pongs, Olaf; Nakajima, Terumi (1997). "A four-disulphide-bridged toxin, with high affinity towards voltage-gated K+ channels, isolated from Heterometrus spinnifer (Scorpionidae) venom". Biochemical Journal. 328 (Pt 1): 321–327. doi:10.1042/bj3280321. PMC 1218924. PMID 9359871.
edit